


late night comforts

by paraluman



Category: Buhay Kolehiyo, SSU, Sexy Sexy Universities
Genre: Established Relationship, Late night cuddles, M/M, Sleepy Kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-28 23:12:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10841454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paraluman/pseuds/paraluman
Summary: Salle's cramming a paper, and Neo's there to give him a boost.





	late night comforts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mod A](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=mod+A).



> hello! it's been a while since i've written anything remotely fictional, so i treated this as a writing exercise ~~in futility? hurhur~~ to shake off the very formal constraints of scientific journaling, which is the bulk of what i've been writing for the past years. please excuse any tense errors and my very probably choppy word flow, and kindly point them out to me in the comments :)
> 
> this fic is for mod A, whose headcanon is the one i closely follow. [Buhay Kolehiyo](https://www.facebook.com/sexysexyuniversities/) is such an amazing page/community, it inspired me to get out of my creative slump. give all the talented mods some love!
> 
> i wrote this last may 4, which is why i now have StarWarsgeek!salle as a personal headcanon lol.
> 
> edit: i reset the italics for the tagalog words because i realized it looked awkward and was plain silly, considering i wrote it for an audience who supposedly understands the language. i also changed some words, and now i think the dialogue reads easier :)
> 
> enjoy!

The stark brightness of the LED screen threw strong features into stark relief, highlighting thick brows knit in concentration, white teeth worrying thin lips, and dark eyes with even darker shadows beneath them. Everything else was blanketed in the blue of the night. The silence was broken by the occasional _tack-tack-tack_ of quick fingers tapping on the laptop’s keys, punctuated by deep, frustrated sighs as dusk bled into the evening, then into the wee hours of early morning.

 

Salle let out a silent groan, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to ease the knot of tension that formed at his back after sitting for so many hours in a stiff chair. He slumped against the backrest, blinking his tired eyes rapidly before closing them.

 

 _If only I didn’t leave this paper till the last possible minute_ … he thought, frowning. It was a bad habit that he’s been trying to break, but all his responsibilities and workload had piled up at the start of the month, and after the stress of accomplishing everything he took the weekend off for some much needed rest.

 

 _No point in regrets_ , he mourned, sighing and gearing himself up to type another thousand words to reach the required page count.

 

He jumped in surprise as arms wrapped around his torso from behind, feeling a solid weight plop carefully onto the crown of his head.

 

“Fuck, Neo, you scared me,” Salle wheezed out, reaching up to gently squeeze a slender wrist. “What are you, ninja?”

 

A muffled chuckle sounded at the top of his head, limber fingers squeezing in response around his hand.

 

Salle leaned back into the embrace, a smile tugging up the corners of his lips. He rubbed his thumb across the thin, soft skin at the back of Neo’s hand, tracing mindless circles in the quiet. A warm feeling had settled into his chest, easing his fatigue away.

 

“What are you doing still awake?” Neo asked, squinting his eyes at the bright screen of the laptop.

 

“Need to finish a paper for KasPil,” sighed Salle. He can already hear Neo’s reprimanding voice in his head, telling him that he should have finished the assignment days before the deadline. It’s been a constant motivator for him to avoid cramming these days, feeling disappointed in himself as he imagined the worry in Neo’s eyes. Cramming also tended to cut his limited time with his boyfriend, which was something that he would do anything to prevent from being necessary.

 

To his surprise, Neo just hummed in acknowledgment. Then, he asked, “Do you need help?”

 

Salle’s smile stretched farther. The warm feeling in his chest grew, boundless and fond. He was pretty sure he knew what it was, but it was something he was content to leave unexplored in the moment.

 

He turned his face to nuzzle into the soft skin of Neo’s neck, breathing in the clean, reassuring scent that always clung to the other man. He wished he could bottle it up, sometimes; just to breathe in the scent that he had come to associate with the person who was capable of causing his heart rate to shoot up to dizzying speeds, as well as grounding him when he felt lost in his often chaotic life.

 

“Thanks, babe, but I could handle it,” he murmured against warm skin, feeling grateful for the sentiment behind the offer.

 

“Anything else you want me to do?” Neo persisted quietly.

 

Salle slowly tugged Neo around the chair, pulling him down until their faces were level. He took in the features of Neo’s face, devouring the sight of that gorgeous, dear face in the weak light, wondering what he did to deserve him. From those intelligent, brilliant eyes, shaded by long, inky lashes, to that attractive beauty mark, to his cute, upturned nose, down to that tempting mouth… Salle wondered how he managed to make this guy say _yes_ to him, when he finally gathered the guts to ask him out. It was the sweetest affirmation he had received in his life to date, and the actuality of it was still a mystery to him some days.

 

Neo stared back at him, eyes curious and searching. “What is it?” he asked.

 

“Wala lang,” Salle replied after a moment, hand reaching up to caress Neo’s cheek.

 

After a few moments of silence, Neo finally tired of waiting. He pressed a long, lingering kiss on Salle’s smiling lips. Salle pressed back, sliding his hand farther to tangle in the soft strands of hair at Neo’s nape. He pulled Neo closer, easing his lips over the pliant mouth, coaxing a content moan out of that inviting throat.

 

The kiss lasted a minute, then another, slow, unerring, lasting. They parted on a shared breath, gazes connected and charged with unspoken meaning, before Salle wrapped his arms around Neo’s small waist, burying his face into the flat abdomen.

 

“Ang swerte-swerte ko talaga,” he mumbled, clinging tight.

 

Neo let out an amused huff, running soothing fingers through Salle’s loose hair. He then pressed firmly into the area that has been bothering Salle, finding the knot accurately and digging with his knuckles to alleviate the accumulated tension in the broad back.

 

Salle groaned in appreciation, turning into putty under his boyfriend’s hands. After a few minutes of this, Salle felt the pain fade into nothing. He pulled away, kissing Neo’s hands in thanks.

 

“Anything else?” Neo asked again, smiling at him.

 

“Hmm?” He was massaged into boneless incoherence, and he still has not recovered.

 

“Want some coffee?” Neo suggested, returning his fingers to combing through Salle’s hair.

 

“Something mild, maybe,” Salle finally replied. “I still want to sleep after.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Neo turned to fix him a cup, but Salle’s grip only tightened around him. A low whine sounded out from the dark-haired man’s throat, pleading and exhausted.

 

“Come on, off,” Neo cooed, laughing when Salle only blew a raspberry against his tummy in response. “The quicker you get to typing, the faster you can finish and join me in bed.”

 

Salle perked up at that, turning wide, eager eyes on a giggling Neo. He slumped back immediately, though, craning his neck back as far as he could as he pouted up at his boyfriend. “I’m actually too tired right now, babe,” he gloomily informed Neo, who only laughed harder at his dejected look.

 

“I didn't mean that we should fuck, gago.” Neo snorted. Trust Salle to immediately dump his mind in the gutter. “I meant that you should hurry up so you could sleep na. Also, it’s too cold tonight.”

 

“Ah.” Salle’s eyes sparkled mischievously at him. “Na-miss mo ko, no?” he teased.

 

“Of course I did, you clingy panda,” Neo shot back immediately. “I don't see you for nearly a month, then when you come here you spend all your time doing a stupid paper instead of doing me.”

 

Salle choked on air, barely managing to swallow his incredulous laughter down. The easy admission showed how far they’ve progressed in their relationship; from Neo’s pakipot days and his own (embarrassing) torpe ways, they’ve definitely gone a long way in learning how to express their feelings honestly. Despite that, he still was taken by surprise sometimes when Neo got this blunt over something like sex.

 

Salle inwardly sighed. Gone were the days when his boyfriend cutely blushed at any mention of intimacy.

 

 _Welllp_ , he thought, smirking, _dapat lang._ He watched as Neo pursed his lips, making them look invitingly plump. _He’s still cute, though. Daya._

 

“What are you smirking about?” Neo shot him a suspicious look.

 

“Nothing.” Salle sighed again. “Sorry,” he added genuinely.

 

“It’s a’ight, I understand,” Neo replied, patting Salle’s head. “Acads first.”

 

Salle begged to disagree, but he kept mum. Finally, he let go of Neo’s waist as the other man pulled free again. He watched Neo putter about the small kitchenette at the far wall of the condo. The Atenean put some water to boil in the sleek coffee machine, scooping some grounds into the filter, before turning the machine on. Neo caught his eye as he turned around.

 

“Salle,” he prompted.

 

With a cheeky drawl of “Oo na po," Salle faced his laptop in acquiescence. Words came easier to him now that he had some sort of a pick-me-up in the form of his boyfriend, and the promise of coffee and sleep.

 

A steaming half-and-half was placed in front of him a few minutes later, positively beckoning him to drink from the top of his [Pop! Chewbacca mug](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0552/1401/products/6986_SW_ChewbaccaMug_POP_MUG_1024x1024.jpg?v=1454006609). It was a gift from Neo, back from when they just started officially dating and Salle was close to completely living in Neo’s condo outside his day classes at DLSU.

 

Neo, the cute motherfucker that he was, dropped the neatly packaged mug in his lap with no warning whatsoever. Salle floundered to keep it from falling, confused but curious.

 

“Stop stealing my mug in the morning,” Neo said, his tone carefully flippant. Salle stared at him wide-eyed, turning his gaze to the package before staring at Neo once again.

 

“Huh?” was his intelligent reply.

 

Neo sighed in exasperation and crossed his arms. He gazed at Salle from the corners of his eyes, keeping only his profile visible to the other man as he fought down the blush that threatened to invade his irritatingly pale cheeks. “I saw it and thought of you,” he quickly muttered, turning completely away from the flabbergasted man.

 

“Huhhh?!?!”

 

“Shut up,” Neo hissed, the blush successfully taking over his cheeks.

 

“Oy, Neo, ano sinabi mo?” Surprise was fast to leave Salle, awe now lining his tone as a giddy feeling rose up in his chest. _Did Neo just…_

 

“Just open it, okay?”

 

Salle was only too quick to agree, abandoning the chance to tease Neo in favor of unwrapping his present. He slid his finger along the seams, taking care not to rip the forest green paper. It revealed a Pop! Chewbacca edition ceramic mug, the character’s large, black, round eyes staring back at Salle’s excited face.

 

“You like it?” Neo asked, beginning to smile as he stared at Salle’s expression.

 

“Tangina, Neo, of course I love it!” Salle exclaimed, the Star Wars fan in him showing through.

 

“Geek,” Neo fondly accused.

 

“Why Chewbacca, though?” Salle curiously asked.

 

“Chewbacca’s cute,” Neo said offhandedly, before stiffening up and biting his lip as he realized the implication of what he said.

 

“Oho?” Salle teased. “So cute pala ako?”

 

“Shut _up._ ”

 

Salle only laughed, before snatching Neo’s wrist and abruptly tugging the other man towards him. The blue-eyed man yelped, sprawling all over Salle’s lap as he struggled to regain his bearings. Salle pulled him closer, placing his gift on the coffee table to wrap his arms around Neo’s back. He planted a kiss on the brown hair, following it up with a kiss on Neo’s forehead.

 

“Salamat, Neo,” he whispered softly, unable to adequately express the affection that was brimming in his chest.

 

“Wala ‘yan," Neo replied, calming down. He slumped forward into Salle’s chest, snaking his arms over the dark-haired man’s shoulders and adjusting his legs so he sat straddling Salle’s lap.

 

They spent the entire afternoon entangled in the couch, talking in hushed voices, migrating to the bed only when Neo was too sleepy to keep his eyes open.

 

The memory stayed vivid in the Archer’s mind. The mug was the first of the many other wonderful gifts that Neo would give him as their relationship developed over the past year. Salle treasured it dearly, because Neo’s gifts meant that the other man thought of him even when they weren't together, and it was one of the ways that Neo, who wasn't a tactile person in general, reciprocated Salle’s own very physical affection.

 

Salle finished his paper within the hour, sipping the last dregs of his coffee as he checked over the format and alphabetized his references. After scanning his paper for the final time, he sent the word document to his professor’s email and shut the laptop down.

 

“Thank fuck,” he groaned, stretching out as he shook the stiffness in his limbs away. He took his Chewbacca mug to the sink and rinsed it, leaving it on the drying rack after washing it properly.

 

“Tapos ka na?” Neo came in from the bedroom, phone in his hand.

 

“Akala ko natulog ka na." Salle walked towards his boyfriend, squeezing the other man’s waist before slipping past him to go into the bathroom.

 

“I wanted to wait for you,” Neo said, yawning. He leaned against the doorjamb as Salle washed his face and brushed his teeth.

 

“You shouldn't have,” Salle managed to say around the foam and toothbrush in his mouth.

 

“Oks lang, we both don't have classes tomorrow naman eh.” Neo scrolled through his Instagram feed while waiting for Salle to finish, liking Mia’s most recent selfie with Iya and Tomas’s beautiful photo of the majestic UST main building painted in the colors of the sunset. These just reminded him of how long the whole group last got together, and they made him miss his friends keenly.

 

“Let’s go to sleep?”

 

Neo looked up, tracing the heavy shadows under dark green eyes, the stress lines along Salle’s mouth, and the exhaustion in his drooping eyelids. He nodded, grabbing the other man’s hand and lacing their fingers as they walked towards the large bed.

 

Neo crept in first, tucking his body against the wall as Salle laid down after him. Salle pulled the covers over them both, then scooted forward to press sleepy kisses on Neo’s face.

 

“Goodnight, Neo,” he mumbled against Neo’s forehead, closing his eyes as sleep swiftly overtook him.

 

Neo breathed in for a few moments, taking in the bone-deep contentment that filled him as Salle completely encompassed his senses, before whispering, “See you in the morning,” pressing a last kiss on Salle’s stubbly chin and then following him to sleep.


End file.
